The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a cover.
One example of a connector provided with a cover has this cover on a posterior face of a housing, this allowing a group of electric wires that extend from the posterior face of the housing to be guided in a direction that is at a 90 degree angle to their extending direction by using, for example, a space at the posterior face of the housing. An example of this type of connector is described in JP-8-508131. As shown in FIG. 10 of this specification, a cover 1 of this connector is capable of entirely covering a housing 2. After terminal fittings have been inserted from above into the housing 2, the fitting face of this housing 2 facing downwards, the housing 2 is housed within the cover 1 by being passed through an attachment hole 3 that opens to the left relative to FIG. 10, and a group of electric wires 4 that extend from a posterior face of the housing 2 are bent to an angle of 90 degrees to the left and are guided away through a guiding hole 5 that adjoins an upper side of the attachment hole 3.
The first connector is fitted so as to face downwards relative to a corresponding connector that is attached in an upwardly facing manner to a printed wiring board. Since the group of electric wires 4 are guided to the left of the fitted position of the first connector, they may interfere with a second connector when this is to be fitted. In order to deal with this problem, a supplementary guiding hole 7 opens into an upper wall 6 of the guiding hole 5 in this connector. In the case where the connector fitting operation of the second connector is performed at the left, the group of electric wires 4 is passed through the supplementary guiding hole 7 and is temporarily moved upwards. After the fitting operation has been completed, the group of electric wires 4 is then guided back to the left through the guiding hole 5.
In the conventional connector, the supplementary guiding hole 7 remains open in an upwards direction after the group of electric wires 4 has returned to its original position. As a result, depending on the location of the connector, there is the possibility that foreign matter or dust may enter the housing 2 via the supplementary guiding hole 7. In particular, foreign matter accumulates when the connector has been used for a long period with the supplementary guiding hole 7 remaining open.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a connector provided with a cover which has a means for preventing foreign matter from entering through a supplementary guiding hole.
According to a first aspect the invention provides a cover for an electrical connector having electrical wires protruding in a first direction, said cover having an insertion aperture for said connector and being adapted to receive said connector in said insertion aperture in a direction at right angles to said first direction, and having a guiding aperture for guiding said wires out of said cover in a second direction at right angles to said first direction, the cover further including a supplementary aperture adjoining said guiding aperture, and adapted to guide said wires in a third direction at right angles to said first and second directions.
According to a second aspect the invention provides an electrical connector and cover in combination, said connector having electrical terminals inserted therein, and electrical wires protruding from said connector in the direction of insertion of said terminals, said cover having an insertion aperture therein, and said connector being inserted into said insertion aperture, said cover further including a guiding aperture for guiding said wires out of said cover in a direction at right angles to the direction of insertion of said terminal fittings, wherein said cover includes a supplementary aperture adjoining said guiding aperture and opening in a direction at right angles to said guiding aperture.
Such a cover permits the wires to be bent away from the connector in a direction which does not impede attachment of a closely adjacent connector. The supplementary aperture is preferably arranged to face downwards so as to prevent debris or other foreign matter entering the cover by gravity.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical connector and cover in combination, the connector being insertable into the cover in an insertion direction, and the cover having an integral guide rail extending in the insertion direction and engageable in a corresponding guide groove of the connector, the connector including elongate terminal fittings inserted therein in a direction at right angles to said insertion direction and being engageable by said guide rail to prevent outward movement thereof.
Such an arrangement permits terminals to be inserted into the connector, and latched against reverse movement as the guide rail engages the guide groove.